My Sexual Health Team Member:

Corina Avni

Registered Physiotherapist with a special interest in pelvic function

Corina Avni is a registered physiotherapist with a special interest in pelvic function. She has been ‘gloved up’ and working in pelvic health since 1998.

She runs Pelvic Function – a physiotherapy practice devoted entirely to the management of pelvic dysfunction in men, women and children, based at Life Kingsbury Hospital  in Cape Town.  This has provided a particular insight into the range of possible pelvic presentations over the life span and across varied populations.

Particular interests include chronic pelvic pain with multiple pelvic co-morbidity (everything going wrong in the pelvis all at once, including but not limited to sexual dysfunction) and pelvic biomechanics, especially pregnancy related pelvic girdle pain. She does however treat anything from bedwetting in children, to women unable to consummate marriage due to pain with penetration, to men who have pelvic symptoms after a long bicycle ride.

She serves as a pelvic physiotherapist on three multidisciplinary teams – the Kingsbury Pelvic Floor Dysfunction Unit (PFDU), Cape Pelvic Pain Clinic (CPPC), and most recently as a Cape Town representative for My Sexual Health (MSH).

Corina is an expert witness for medico-legal claims involving abdomino-pelvic trauma and dysfunction. Occasionally, she is asked to assist with paediatric bladder bowel dysfunction cases from Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital.

Corina lectures extensively, nationally, internationally and online. She was of the original committee members of the Pelvic and Women’s Health Physiotherapy Group, a special interest group of the South Africa Society of Physiotherapy, being responsible for course development and  delivery. International offerings have included Namibia, Botswana, Dubai and a life-changing 10 days lecturing on pelvic function in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. She has presented at International Urogynaecology Association (IUGA), International Pelvic Pain Society (IPPS), International Children’s Continence Society (ICCS) and World Congress Of Physical Therapy (WCPT) conferences.

She is a regular guest lecturer for everyone from the Pain Management Physiotherapy Group to the South African Sexual Health Association. She has written many articles and chapters for books. Corina has graced the radio waves and has been on TV.

Corina embarked on original research to describe pelvic floor muscle function during gait and weightbearing for her Master’s degree.

Qualifications:

• B.Sc.Physiotherapy (UCT, SA)
• Accreditation in Women’s  Health Physiotherapy (Bradford, UK)
• M. Physiotherapy (SUN, SA)

Additional Sexual Health Related Memberships:

• Southern African Sexual Health Association
• Pelvic and Women’s Health Physiotherapy Group (PWHPG) of South Africa

Additional Sexual Health Related CPDs:

• Southern African Sexual Health Association
• South African Medico-legal Association

Official Registration:

• Registered Physiotherapist with the HPCSA in South Africa, Practice number: PR0052205
• Official Regulating Body Registration Number: PT0063541
• Member of the Southern African Sexual Health Association

Disclaimer:  MSH provides a platform for Sexual Health providers to network and learn in order to render the highest level of sexual health services to patients.  MSH does not take responsibility for the clinical practice of any of its members.  Any concerns can be directed towards info@mysexualhealth.co.za but misconduct needs to be reported to the registration body of the particular individual.